The FBI has launched an investigation after a teenage girl and her parents claim an American Airlines flight attendant left a cellphone in the toilet of an aircraft that recorded the girl as she used it.
The girl’s parents believe she was filmed in the first-class restroom during American Airlines flight 1441 traveling from Charlotte to Boston on Sept. 2. The parents sent photos of the device affixed to a toilet seat to the New York Post through their family lawyer.
“I think there’s a real feeling of violation. I think as a teenage girl, she’s a little bit embarrassed that something so intimate as going to the bathroom would be filmed this way,” the teen’s father told the New York Post.
The image shows a cellphone secured to the toilet lid beneath a “seat broken” sign, with the phone’s camera flash apparently activated. The Massachusetts State Police reported a “potential criminal act” during the flight, passing the investigation to the FBI due to its jurisdiction over domestic flight crimes.
According to reports, the flight attendant had diverted the teenager to the first-class restroom as she waited to use the one in coach. But first, he told her he had to go into that bathroom to wash his hands, and when he came out, he told the girl the toilet seat was broken, The Independent reports.
The teenager reportedly entered that bathroom anyway and took a photograph of what the family is claiming was an iPhone attached to the toilet seat, something she noticed after flushing. She showed the photo to her mother, who reportedly tried to warn other passengers.
“It’s something you never considered before, and it was just really shocking,” the girl’s mother said with anonymity.
However, when she reached the first-class restroom, the device was gone. Another passenger said they observed the attendant, a man in his 30s, re-entering after the girl left. The father confronted the flight attendants with the photo, leading to the removal of the male attendant by state police.
“I remember seeing the male flight attendant’s face just go totally white,” the father told the Post.
The size of first-class bathrooms on American Airlines flights can vary depending on the aircraft type and configuration. In general, first-class or premium cabins tend to offer larger and more spacious restrooms compared to those in the economy class. These restrooms are designed to provide passengers with additional comfort and privacy.
The dimensions of first-class restrooms can vary, but they are typically larger than the standard economy-class restrooms. They may offer more floor space, a slightly larger sink area, and sometimes additional amenities like premium toiletries. However, the exact size and layout can differ from one aircraft model to another.
A female flight attendant reportedly apologized to the family on the flight.
Representatives for American Airlines told The Independent that they “take this matter very seriously and are fully cooperating with law enforcement in their investigation, as safety and security are our highest priorities.”
